This invention relates generally to fishing rods, and more particularly to fishing rods having a plurality of hollow, tubular rod elements telescopically arranged for movement inwardly and outwardly relative to one another. Specifically, the invention disclosed herein is directed to a combination fishing rod which can be used for both spinning and fly-casting.
Heretofore, fishing rods of various configurations have been proposed to enable the user to reduce the overall size of the rod when it is not being used for fishing. One example of such a fishing rod incorporates a short rod element foldable against a handle-reel section. The handle is equipped with means for containing fishing tackle and the like. This type of fishing rod has the advantage of being small and compact when not in use. However, a disadvantage of this type of fishing rod is that it does not have the flex and feel generally associated with a lightweight fiberglass or wood fishing rod.
Another approach to minimize the space required of fishing rods while not in use is to provide a plurality of telescopic sections movable relative to one another. The telescopic sections are extended to provide a long, flexible fishing rod during one instance and then collapsed to provide a short assemblage of parts for storage during another instance. However, even when collapsing a plurality of rod sections, prior art structures require a handle section to be separate and distinct from the plurality of telescopic rod sections. Furthermore, in some instances the handle is completely removed from the plurality of rod sections to provide a two piece unit, one piece being the handle and the other piece being the plurality of collapsed rod sections. While this has the advantage of providing a small compact arrangement for storage it does, in some instances, offer a problem with regard to having one of the two pieces misplaced.
Still another problem with the prior art fishing rods is that they are unitary in function. A fisherman utilizes one type of rod configuration for spinning, and another type of rod configuration for fly-casting. Many fishermen do both types of sport fishing and therefore are required to have two different types of fishing rods available.